Punica granatum

The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney - November

Genus:Punica - from the Latin, malum punicum, Pliny’s name for the fruit (meaning ‘Punic or Carthaginian apple’).

Species:granatum - from a Latin word for the pomegranate, derived from a term meaning ‘having numerous seeds’.

Distribution

Originally a native of Persia and adjacent countries, but has been cultivated and naturalized in the Mediterranean countries at such an early date that it has even been considered indigenous to these countries.

Native habitat

Areas of Southern Europe and the Middle East with hot, dry summers and winter rainfall.

Punica granatum has been a very fashionable garden plant for at least the last 150 years. Mentioned many times in the Bible, no English garden was complete without a pomegranate.

The leathery fruit wall was an important source of tannin in the preparation of leather and dyes. The edible pulp is part of the seed coat called the sarcotesta. The juice is fermented into grenadine, a cordial. The shape of King Solomon’s (and subsequent) crowns was inspired by the persistent calyx.

P. granatum has beautiful flowers in spring, very ornamental fruit during summer and nicely coloured foliage in autumn. Very drought hardy once established. There are many named fruiting cultivars as well as dwarf cultivars for ornamental use, and these are best propagated vegetatively.